Women's Champ Diane Kwon and her Father/Caddie John
A Star is Born: Diane Kwon Wins Women’s City Championship
By Lila Hillard
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (March 5, 2006) --
On the same day of the Academy Awards, another star was born on the fairways of Harding Park during the finals of the San Francisco City Golf Championships. Sixteen-year-old Diane Kwon won the scheduled 36 hole 2006 Women’s Division final, beating her opponent, Lisa Bagley-Terzian, 10 and 9.
Kwon dominated the play the entire day and was never down. Although she said, “In the beginning of the game, my swing wasn’t working, but I was able to fix it. I calmed down.”
Kwon played impeccably, with 5 birdies for the day, staying in a solid lead throughout the match. On the 18th, Kwon pulled out her 5 wood and put her ball about 3 feet from the hole and sank the putt, giving her an eagle and placing her 6 up for the match and 2 under par for the first 18 holes.
As rain started on the second eighteen holes, both players continued to hit excellent drives. Although Bagley-Terzian made a valiant effort, she was plagued with poor putting and just couldn’t catch up with Kwon’s consistency.
“She just played better. Diane deserved to win today,” Bagley-Terzian stated. Kwon observed, “I don’t really like bad weather, but I tend to play well in the rain and wind.” That skill was an advantage in the inclement weather today.
Kwon has won numerous junior tournaments, but the San Francisco City Golf Championship is the first tournament that she has won that is not for juniors only. In fact, this was the first time Kwon has played in this event.
Kwon’s father, John, who caddied for her today, motivated her to win the Championship with the promise that he would buy her new rims for her Honda Accord. “My goal today was to get rims on my car,” stated the high school sophomore who plays as the number one player on the boys’ golf team at Kennedy High School in Fremont.
The intrepid gallery watching Kwon’s skill and poise today saw a rising star. Kwon, who would like to be a professional golfer one day, has arrived on the big stage and is set to make her mark in the golfing world.
ABOUT THE San Francisco City WOMEN'S
NOTE: 2017 REGISTRATIONS CLOSED ON JAN. 15.
WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP AND INKSTER
FLIGHT
$275 ENTRY FEE INCLUDES ALL GREEN FEES
Open to the first 60 entries received. No index
required. Qualifying will consist of one 18-hole
stroke play round. Along with the defending
champion, who will hold the number two seed, the
low 15 scores will advance to the Women’s
Championship Flight. The next 16 contestants will be
seeded in the Juli Inkster Flight. Individual scores
will determine seeding for match play. Contestants
who don’t qualify for the Women’s Championship or
Inkster Flight will be refunded $125. Entrants who
are a no show will not be entitled to a refund. All
rounds will be played at TPC Harding Park Golf
Course. Those contestants who post the 32nd and
33rd low scores will be deemed alternate #1 and
#2,
respectively.
ABOUT THE SAN FRANCISCO CITY
CHAMPIONSHIPThe oldest municipal
tournament in the
USA.
Match
play event with scratch senior, women's
and
net
divisions. Past champions include Ken
Venturi,
George Archer, and Dorothy Delasin. Some
of
the
'non winners' include Tom Watson and
Johnny
Miller.
Click the 'history' tab for more about this
wonderful
event.
View Complete Tournament Information